Disabled Man Departs for Dream Destination

Many of us, especially here in Marin County, have had the privilege to travel outside of the state and even the country. One man, Kevan Chandler of North Carolina, had a lifelong dream of backpacking in Europe. There was only one issue—he has a condition called muscular dystrophy, making him unable to move without the help of a wheelchair. His friends, however, found an easy fix to this obstacle. In less than an hour they created something that would help Kevan achieve his life goal, and would change the course of their lives forever without them knowing it. “We threw the pack together in like an hour. It was a hiking backpack with a metal frame. We actually laid it on the ground, and they laid me on top of it, using hammocks”, says Chandler. Through the simple task of transforming a backpack, Kevan and his friends realized there was absolutely no limit to their adventures. The trip itself took an entire year to plan out, including a fundraiser for the construction of a safer, functioning backpack that Kevan could be carried in. The project is now known as ‘We Carry Kevan’, and it primarily invests money, dedication, in addition to love and care to the disabled community. June of 2016, the eight pals board a plane for Paris, saying ‘hello’ to an adventure and ‘goodbye’ to Kevan’s wheelchair, which was left at the Atlanta airport.  On the actual trip, Kevan’s friends willingly faced the task of carrying their sixty-five pound friend, trading-off when necessary, and making sure to document the experience with video cameras. When the trip was over, the impact the group had on the disabled community was still thriving. As of today, the eight friends of We Carry Kevan are still devoted to helping the world become a better place. Their adventures continue as well, as the group is using GoFundMe to plan for another international trip to China.